The Astros wrapped up their series in Boston against the Red Sox on Sunday and are heading home with a series victory. While this is exciting for the Astros and the momentum they need, Boston is one of the worst teams in the league, and they are now heading home to take on one of the best teams in the league, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Astros sit at 14-21 entering the series, with the Dodgers at 21-13. So the Astros really need to use that momentum from the win and take serious advantage of playing at home to make sure this series doesn’t get away from them.
The Astros now turn their attention to a tough matchup with the Dodgers, a lineup that puts pressure on pitching from top to bottom. Pitching has been one of the biggest obstacles for this Houston team, but if they can put someone up there who can command the mound and stay in the game for at least five innings, the Astros turn into a different team.
Steven Okart will be the starting pitcher for the first game of the series. The lefty is currently 0-0 with a 4.20 ERA and 10 strikeouts, per MLB. He is stepping onto the mound on a high note. In his most recent outing on May 3 against the Boston Red Sox, he pitched a scoreless inning with one strikeout.
If he can repeat that kind of performance, it gives Houston a chance to stay competitive right from the start.